Toothbrushes are widely accepted by consumers as one of the best instruments for preventing tooth decay. Early toothbrushes generally included a handle made of a single component with a plurality of filaments attached thereto. However, with the progression of technology, particularly in the areas of plastics processing, toothbrushes have become more complex. For example, some toothbrushes currently available have a handle which includes multiple plastic materials.
For those toothbrushes having multiple materials in the handle, often an elastomeric material is utilized in the grip portion of the handle. The elastomeric material can provide soft area(s) on the handle for a user to place their thumb and forefinger. Unfortunately, these soft areas are often uniform in nature offering the user little if any tactile differentiation from one location of a particular soft area to another location on the particular soft area.
Often times, a user brushes their teeth either early in the morning and/or later in the evening. At such times, there may be little to no light during brushing. As such, the user can sometimes be left to rely on tactile sensation for proper gripping. Due to the lack of tactile differentiation in a soft area, the user may improperly grip the toothbrush. An improper grip on the toothbrush handle can potentially reduce the maneuverability of the toothbrush without adjustment of the grip on the toothbrush by the user.
As such, there is a necessity for a toothbrush which provides the user with a soft gripping area while also providing a tactile distinction within a particular gripping area which provides a cue as to the proper placement of a user's thumb and/or forefinger.